


We're Us

by tori_h



Category: Free!
Genre: Introspection, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-28
Updated: 2014-09-28
Packaged: 2018-02-19 03:06:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2372234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tori_h/pseuds/tori_h
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Makoto and Haru have always had a curious relationship.</p><p>"Then I'll kiss Haru-chan instead!"<br/>"N-No!"<br/>"Why!"<br/>"Because..." Makoto stopped, bit his lip. "H-Haru is family too..."</p>
            </blockquote>





	We're Us

**Author's Note:**

> Makoto mentions in an interview that Haru is like family.  
> In High Speed! 2 Kisumi thinks that Haru and Makoto are like brothers, but not quite.

"It must be great, getting along with your siblings."

 "Don't you have older sisters, Nagisa?"

 "I was more like my sisters' toy than a sibling..."

 "Is Haru envious about that since you're an only child?" Makoto inquired, looking at him.

  _"I have Makoto,"_ was his first thought.

 "Not really," was his reply, as he turned away.

  _Makoto? **Sibling**? That wasn't quite right. Makoto was..._

~~

 

“Haru and Makoto––”

 Kisumi had said.

 “I thought that you two might be like brothers, but maybe that’s not quite right, huh.”

 “What do you mean by that?”

 “You understand each other on a much deeper level, or rather, it’s like your hearts are connected––”

 “We’re just childhood friends.”

 He couldn't stand people getting weird ideas about their relationship. _To him, Makoto..._

~~

 

"Tachibana, Nanase... That's gross." A classmate in elementary school had remarked when Haru was licking the half-eaten popsicle that Makoto had offered him as usual.

 "Eh? What do you mean?" Makoto cocked his head in confusion.

 "That.” He eyed and nodded towards the popsicle in Haru's hand, a look of disgust on his face.

 Haru simply shrugged. He wasn't saliva conscious anyway.

 "But I share food with Dad and Mum and the twins all the time! Haru-chan is my family too!"

 Makoto looked at Haru, expecting Haru to back him up, but Haru looked away.

 "Tachibana..." He cocked an eyebrow. "You're weird. Anyway, it's still gross."

 Haru glanced at Makoto. The latter was biting his lip, contemplating. Haru finished the popsicle in one bite, glaring at the interferer.

 "It's none of your business."                                                                                             

 With that, he grabbed Makoto's hand and stomped off.

 "Makoto." He told him when they were alone. "Don't worry about it."

 Makoto's eyes widened and he raised his upturned eyebrows. "Un!" He nodded, and beamed.

 Haru felt his heart beat faster and his face heat up.

 Even though he said that, they stopped sharing popsicles from the same stick ever since then, because Makoto started getting twin popsicles for them instead.

 Haru didn't understand why it mattered when they still continued to eat from each other's spoon and drank from each other's straw all the time.

~~

 

"Haruka is the older brother, so you have make sure to take good care of Makoto-kun, okay?" Haruka's mother had instructed him, adjusting the strap of his backpack, patting him and Makoto on their heads. It was the first time they were walking to school on their own.

 Haru nodded in determination, squeezing Makoto's smaller hand in his.

 "Well then Haruka-kun, I'll be counting on you!" Haru liked Makoto's mother's smile.

 They waved goodbye to their mothers and headed down the stairs.

 It was natural that Haru would look after Makoto, since he was the bigger and older one.

 When Makoto was scared, Haru would let him cling on to the hem of his shirt. When they saw the lines of people in white clothes at the harbour and he witnessed the fear in Makoto's eyes, his first instinct was to take Makoto and run.

 He didn't realise when their roles had reversed. He didn't realise when he had to crane his neck in order to look up at the once shy and scared little boy that hid behind him, when that small hand that he held everyday had started to grow bigger than his own.

 When Makoto continued to call him "Haru-chan", he started to feel small. He felt annoyed for some reason.

  _"Drop the -chan,"_ he would tell Makoto. But Makoto never did.

 He thought he might be secretly glad about it, even though he would never admit it. Just like whenever Makoto still hid behind him when he got scared, it made him feel as though nothing had really changed between them after all. Makoto was still his... _What?_

~~

 

 _"Family,"_ Makoto had said.

 Haru's parents had always been "free spirits", as quoted from Makoto. After they had moved away from Iwatobi, they barely ever came home. Ever since his grandmother had passed away, his house felt too big and empty. He didn't like it. But it was fine. He was never alone, because there was always Makoto.

 "Haru-chan is my family! I won't let you be alone!"

 Makoto held on to both his hands.                 

 "Haru-chan should come to my house, and I can always come here too!"

 Haru looked away. His cheeks felt hot. _What was wrong with him?_

 "...I told you to lay off the -chan."

~~

 

"Big Brother, I want a goodnight kiss!" Ran pulled on Makoto's arm.

 "No fair, me too!" Ren pulled on his other arm.

 "Alright, alright..." Makoto sighed, removing his glasses.

 He gave them both a peck on their forehead, and they kissed Makoto's cheek on each side.

 "Good night, Onii-chan! Good night, Haru-chan!" They chorused as they started to scurry out of the room, Ran behind Ren.

 Haru smiled fondly. "Good night, Ran, Ren."

 Ran was halfway out of room when she turned back, seeming to have forgotten something important.

 "Haru-chan wants a goodnight kiss too!" She pulled on Haru's arm this time, looking at her older brother expectantly.

 Makoto gave a squeak, dropping the PlayStation controllers on the bed. “Ran! Stop harassing Haru!"

 "Am not!" Ran crossed her arms, pouting.

 "It's fine." Haru stood up from the floor, Makoto's too-big shirt sliding from his shoulder.

 He leans his face towards Makoto, waiting. 

 "H-Haru wants one too?"

 "Can't I?"

 "Of course you can!" Makoto replied, maybe _too_ eagerly.

 Haru grabbed his hands before he could cover his face in embarrassment, and gave him a peck on the lips.

 "H-Haru!" Makoto exclaimed, sounding scandalised."Th-That's not..."

 Haru raised an eyebrow. _What's wrong?_ It wasn't the first time that they had done that. Makoto groaned, his face and ears red.

 "Ran wants to kiss like that too! Onii-chan!"

 "N-No! As family we don't do that, okay?"

 "But I saw it on TV! Ran's going to marry Onii-chan, so I can!"

 "Ran, you can't..." Makoto sighed helplessly. "You'll understand when you grow up..."

 "Stingy! Then I'll kiss Haru-chan instead!"

 "N-No!"

 "Why!"

 "Because..." Makoto stopped, bit his lip. "H-Haru is family too..."

 Haru huffed. For some reason, Makoto's reply didn't sit well with him.

~~

 

"Wow, it looks delicious!" Mrs Tachibana exclaimed, sounding genuinely impressed, as she looked at the pot of green curry that Haru was making.

 "Is it too spicy?"

 Mrs Tachibana shook her head. "It's perfect! This is the exact flavour that Makoto likes! He'll be so happy!"

 "Un." Haru really liked her smile.

 "Haru-chan is so good at cooking and doing household chores! Whoever marries you will be so lucky!"

 Haru's eyes widened. He remembered the time when he was teaching Makoto how to cook mackerel in miso.

  _"You’d make a good husband when you get married, Haru."_

  _"I’m not interested in getting married,"_ Haru had said.

 "...Is that so." He lowered his eyes to the pot of curry.

 "Of course! If Haru-chan were a girl you'd probably be Makoto's wife already!" Mrs Tachibana probably didn't mean to tease him on purpose, but it made Haru blush nonetheless.

 "You're constantly looking after Makoto, and you two have always been so close. You'll be what they call childhood sweethearts..." She sighed dreamily.

 "...Is it no good if I'm not a girl?"

 "Eh?"

 "...It's nothing."

  _What was he thinking?_

~~

 

Well, he knows now.

  _Brothers?_ Not quite right.

  _Childhood best friends?_ That they’ll always be, but they’re definitely more than that now.

  _Lovers?_ More. _More._

  _Soulmates?_

  _“Welcome home.”_

  _Home._ Makoto. His home. Yes, that sounds about right.

 “Haru-chan…”

 Haru shifts as much as he can with the strong arms locking him in place. _Makoto and his idiotic strength._

 “Makoto. Did I wake you up?”

 “Mmn…” Green eyes blink sleepily at him, coupled with a tired smile. “I can hear you thinking, you know.”

 Haru closes his eyes, and huffs.

 He feels something warm and soft on his forehead, and is met with a sheepish smile as his eyes flutter open.

 “A goodnight kiss.” Makoto explains.

 "…Do it properly.”

 Before Makoto can react, he leans up and kisses him on the lips. _Mine._

 He wonders why he even felt the need to tag something to their relationship. They’re Haru and Makoto, and they belong together. This he will always be certain.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Silly Haru. Of course you're not like brothers. "Family" just means they're married, right?
> 
> I've always wanted to write about this, something that explores the nature of their relationship, but I wasn't really sure how to go about organizing my ideas...OTL 
> 
> Thanks for reading!<3


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